5.1 surround sound

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zia

zia

zia

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Looking for 5.1 surround sound system for both pc and ps3 use,currently have logitech z4 which are fine for the pc but would like 5.1 setup for running bluray off the pc.
Have to admit am bit of a noob when it comes to 5.1 setups which is best one,a pre built one(ie logitech z5500) or custom setup?
budget max £500

zia
 
With a £500 budget, I'd get something better than the Z5500. They used to be very good speakers for the money, but their price has spiralled to the point where they are no longer good value IMO. For £300, you can buy better. Onkyo make some very good complete 5.1 kits for around the £300 mark.

You could also go 2nd hand. £500 for 2nd hand kit will get you some really decent stuff.
 
As above you'll get the best results second hand. A few years ago I picked up a Cambridge Audio 540R and some Tannoy floorstanders, centre and Wharfedale Diamond bookshelf (for rear) for £190 total (100 amp, 90 speakers) last year from the classifieds on avforums. The seller claimed he preferred this amp for music over anything up to £500, so it's a good bit of kit.

That was a ridiculous amount of speaker for the money and they've done me very well. I added an ex display MS309i sub (£100, blows a premade kit sub away) from richer sounds in Reading, and the 5.1 was complete.
 
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Just to echo the above as long as you are sensible and do some research second hand will get you a lot more for your money, £500 is a great sum anyway for new kit but if you search around you'll get amazing kit for that.

I personally have some Sony SS-E30s and a Harman/Kardon AVR2550 which cost me a whisker over £60 and the sound quality from them is :eek: to be fair that was a once in a lifetime deal and you'd be hard pressed to beat it but if you keep your eyes open there are some real bargains to be had.
 
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Yes, something along those lines. Any separate 5.1 speaker package with an active subwoofer will connect to an AV receiver/amplifier.

You can either buy a 5.1 kit, that has the AV receiver/amplifier (AVR) included, or buy the AVR and speaker package separately. If you had £300 or just over, then the choice is fairly straight forward. Onkyo HTS5305 or ONKYO HTX22HDX & SKS22X, just as some examples.

With £500 though, there are more options.
 
I would suggest heading over to avforums or the like and ask there as they are much more likely to have advice for you than here. Alternatively you could have a look at items at £500 or more and then try and find them second hand.

As for what equipment I'd suggest:
AVR with HDMI in/out, this means you only need 1 cable per device.
Setup microphone - trying to balance volumes so you get the rear and front speakers sounding right can be a nuisance so an AVR which has a setup mic saves a few headaches.
Bookshelf/floorstander front speakers, getting something of good quality means you'll have an excellent pair of stereo speakers too, these 5.1 kits are ok for movies but pale when you play music through them, spending a little extra on a couple of pairs of bookshelves gets you much better quality.
If you go for big speakers (like mine) you don't need a sub, you could do what I'm doing and kit out and use your speakers for bass now, and in the future when you have some more cash buy yourself a sub, so you have bass now and more impressive bass in the future.

If you can test some equipment out too it'll really help you decide what you want :)
 
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